Sunday, 29 November 2015

Surely Donald Trump has gone too far this time?



Just when the gods of shock of awe seem to have given us their best attempt to make us stop and stand, staring at our TVs, they go that extra step into the land of insanity, and dish out something new and even worse.

Donald Trump, front-runner for the Republican Party's presidential ticket for 2016, has made a name for himself, as the anti-establishment, politically-incorrect megabucks man.

It all started with Mr Trump promising he would build a "great, great wall" between the US and Mexico, when he launched his campaign in June (see here).

During one of the more heated GOP television debates, Mr Trump implied that one of the moderators, Megyn Kelly, was putting him on the spot, because she had "blood coming out of her...wherever", during a subsequent TV interview.

Establishment Republicans are pulling their hair out, and screaming "No no no no no!" at the thought that one of their candidates (Jeb Bush, for instance) has been snubbed by Republican voters, in favour of an oddball like Mr Trump.

Mr Trump's comments have, to put it mildly, been discriminatory and nonsensical, but he is quite simply the open wound in the Republican race, that just keeps on gushing forth. It's a fair question to ask  now, whether Mr Trump's callous rhetoric is finally starting to drive even his most rabidly insane supporters off the brand.

Trump's final straw, that breaks the GOP elephant's back?

At a rally last week, Mr Trump brought up the sensitive subject of 9/11, and has really angered people, with his latest comments.

To provide a quick bit of context: during the turmoil of 9/11, survivors and emergency teams were ferried across the Hudson River, to a spot called Jersey City.

Mr Trump told the rally participants that he'd seen footage, showing thousands of people, cheering at the sight of the Twin Towers burning. The group of people Mr Trump was referring to were supposedly Arab residents of Jersey City, although he has also used the term Muslim interchangeably, as if the two words are synonymous.

Despite these sensational claims, no such footage is known to exist. Despite the lack of tangible evidence, Mr Trump doesn't seem fazed. He's most likely lied to the American electorate. But rather than retracting the comments, like Ben Carson did, during the week, Mr Trump seems to relish it. It's all about attention.

This comes, as the Mayor of Jersey City made the following comments on Twitter:


As a final comment on the story as it stands, I would say this. The primaries for American parties, seeking to take the presidency are starting to become drawn-out affairs. They have now become a spectator sport, with millions tuning in, to watch the dozens of contestant-like wannabe contenders try their luck.

The brightest sparks at the start of the contest don't typically win the final battle to assume the candidacy, quite simply because they burn out too soon. The media swarm around them too early in the day, and they're just not ready for the pressures of rolling 24hr news cycles. Scandalous stories emerge, and the field eventually thins out, until the main contenders are left standing.

Donald Trump has made his campaign a series of dramatic moments, one after another. He craves attention, even if it means insulting women, Muslims, Mexicans or any other social group you could care to mention. He's throwing small firecrackers in our faces, to confuse us and keep us wanting more.

You're just left wondering; if this controversial man actually makes it onto the Republican ticket, what on Earth is he going to be like, when the actual Presidential election campaign starts in earnest?

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